Still, there’s at least one serious consideration: live trivia’s significant expansion. Close to 1,700 weekly events are held across the country — compared with 600 about five years ago, according to the New Jersey-based National Trivia Association.

But considering their relative simplicity, trivia nights haven’t been around that long, at least in this country. Although ubiquitous in the United Kingdom, they didn’t migrate across the Atlantic until early 1990, when it’s believed the first live trivia game was held in Philadelphia.

No doubt, categories are random; at local trivia nights, they range from the academic to the goofy to the obscure — zip codes, cocktails, pharmaceuticals, “Dirty Harry’’ movies, Stanley Cup wins, first ladies, adult entertainment.

Pictured: The team called the Da Ali G's celbrate after getting the first question of the evening correct.
Next